Broken Hearts
by brinchen86
Summary: Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.
1. Point of View

**Title:**Broken Hearts  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.  
**Rating:** PG - 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The Harry Potter Series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit. Cover art by Phoenix_87 TDA  
**Author's Note:** Written for dramioneremix (2012). My original couple was Faramir/Eowyn, and there's the Christmas prompt. This is how the prompts are used in the story: Draco has a complicated relationship with his father (like Faramir), Hermione has a broken heart (like Eowyn) and they comfort each other during the Christmas holidays, which they spend together at Hogwarts. Eventually, this brings them closer together.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Point of View**

Only one more week until Christmas. Usually that was something Hermione Granger would be eagerly looking forward to. Especially this year, one would believe she would enjoy it. Voldemort had been defeated by Harry, there was no danger for either him, Ron, herself or anyone else they loved anymore.

No, the nightmare that had been following them like a shadow since their first year at Hogwarts was finally over. The Wizarding World was slowly getting back to normal and, so she hoped, had learnt a lot from what had happened, for the second time already.

They all had decided to go back to Hogwarts to get their N.E.W.T.'s. In fact she had been looking forward to their first calm year. Finally there would be no adventures for them to face. Finally they could focus on school. Or Quidditch.

But their last year at Hogwarts had turned out very different to how Hermione had expected. What was supposed to be a special year for them all, a well deserved one, wasn't so much fun for Hermione herself.

Harry and Ginny had finally gotten back together after the end of the war. There had never been a doubt that Harry had just ended the relationship because he had wanted to protect her. Because he wanted to make sure that Ginny didn't get into danger because of him. He had needed to focus on his mission as well.

Now said mission was over, Voldemort was defeated, the Death Eaters were hunted down by the Ministry. Harry was a normal student at Hogwarts again; as normal as a war hero could be of course. There was no reason to stay away from each other anymore. And they were enjoying the fact that they could be together again; it was more than obvious to everyone.

Hermione had hoped that a romance for herself would be a lovely addition to her own last year at the school that had become a become home so much for her over the last couple of years. The war had finally brought her and Ron to the point where they had decided that they had enough of dancing around each other. They had kissed. They had decided to move on from their friendship and become a couple as well.

Unfortunately their relationship hadn't lasted long. After such a long time, Hermione had believed she had finally reached her goal. Since her sixth year, she had hoped that she and Ron would get together sooner or later. She had no doubt that she had had feelings for him for a much longer time.

And Ron had been happy that they had finally made this step as well. Especially after revealing how jealous, how afraid he had been that maybe, just maybe, she was in love with Harry and not with him. That he wasn't good enough to be together with her.

Everything had been so beautiful in the beginning. But barely a month had passed when Hermione had realised that they weren't getting closer and closer; she couldn't see the same development she could see when she was watching Harry and Ginny. Instead they quickly returned to their old habit of arguing, now even more than ever. Little things would already be enough to push them towards the edge of another fight and much to Hermione's confusion, it was usually Ron who was annoyed by her.

Another month passed and as much as Hermione tried to deny it, she could see in which direction their relationship was heading. What had seemed to be perfect for the both of them was now turning into a dream she had been running after for way too long.

It was Ron who ended their relationship after all. Hermione was sure he had never felt more uncomfortable with a decision. Of course she was grateful that he was honest to her, admitting that he had been wrong, that he had misunderstood his feelings for her. That she was like a sister for him but that his feelings for her weren't strong enough.

Just a friend. She was just a friend. A really close one, but not more. He had told her that realisation had already hit him closely after they had gotten together; his confusion had most likely been the main reason why they had started to argue so much again.

It had been a long speech; something Ron usually didn't do. He had tried to explain himself, had apologized over and over again, had tried his best to make clear that he was sorry because their relationship hadn't worked out, because he had no other choice but break up with her.

And Hermione did understand. She was mature enough to be aware of the fact that feelings couldn't be controlled and unlike how much people would react in such a situation, he had approached her and been honest. She highly respected him for that.

But it didn't change the pain every single spoken word caused. Hermione tried to hide that, forced herself to hold back the rising tears and ignore the lump in her throat. Still Ron seemed to sense her feelings and by the time he had finished his speech, he couldn't have looked more guilty. She had assured him that it was fine, that she fully understood. Feelings couldn't be forced and not always they were both sided. Not always people could have a happy end like Harry and Ginny. Snape, who had survived the attack of Nagini, was a perfect example for that.

And so Hermione had to accept the end of her relationship with Ron. She had been glad when he had left the girls' dormitory. Barely the door had been closed when she had let herself fall onto her bed, had wrapped her blanket around herself and had hidden her face in her pillow. She couldn't tell for how many hours she had cried and she also didn't care.

What hurt almost as much as the fact that while Ron had decided to make the right decision and move on, she was still loving him as much as she had on the day when they had gotten together was the realisation that this time, she couldn't just unload on Harry. Or on Ginny. Because those two had to suffer so much in the past, were finally happy. She didn't want to ruin that with her own broken heart.

So her pillow would most likely be her only comforter she believed. She dearly hoped that being around Ron wouldn't be as awkward as she feared at the moment. That they could be friends again somewhere along the line. And that he would wait until he would start his next relationship. Because while Ron hadn't said a word about this topic and never would have dared to go that far in such a speech, she was convinced that there was another woman. A woman who he cared for more than he had realised until it had almost been too late, and until he had been in a relationship with the wrong woman.

He had waited until he had made it official, but Hermione had already realised that Ron was back together with Lavender a week after their break up. She was grateful that he was tactful enough to hide this relationship in front of everyone and especially in front of her to not make it even worse.

But Hermione knew Ron. She had felt that after Lavender Brown had been attacked by Greyback and had almost been killed, he had realised how much he still cared for her; more than he had realised back then when they had been together. He had tried to hide it, had most likely tried to deny it to himself. But feelings couldn't be controlled and she was sure that not only lack of romantic feelings but also growing feelings for an old love were one of the many reasons why they hadn't worked out.

Hermione had been determined to come out of this situation as strong and self-confident as possible. Unfortunately she couldn't control her own feelings either. She had fought hard, had tried her best to be happy for Ron and Lavender and see the situation from a rational point of view.

No matter how hard she had fought though, her broken heart had pushed her right into the deep valley of a depression which she struggled to hide in front of her friends. It wasn't Ron's fault. It wasn't Lavender's fault either. And of course Harry and Ginny couldn't be blamed for being happy with each other.

So she had started to avoid them as much as she could without coming across as too suspicious. She would smile and assure her friends that everything was alright when they came to her, questioned her in concern. She knew that especially Harry and Ginny weren't convinced by that at all and tried to get through to her at every possible occasion. But especially for Harry, she wanted their final year at Hogwarts to turn out as nice and normal as possible. Her depression was her own problem, not his. And so she would excuse her behaviour with being busy and thinking about passing her exams at the end; an answer that made sense after all.

To make story come across more believable, Hermione would spend as much time as possible at either the library or outside. Being alone didn't help but to make her feel better but at least she wouldn't be around her friends, wouldn't have to put on her constant mask.

Shaking her head, Hermione tried to focus on her book again. Yes, Christmas was approaching. She had hoped it would be a lovely one. Back then, when she had expected to celebrate it with Ron. But certainly Christmas at Hogwarts would be nice as well. She would just make it nice. Somehow. Concentrating on her book got difficult though as new tears turned her view blurry.

* * *

He couldn't tell how long he had been outside already, wandering across the school grounds all by himself, far away from everyone else. It had gotten dark a while ago. The full moon above and a couple of stars were offering their pale light but he was ignoring them.

In fact he was ignoring everything except the quiet that was surrounding him. A more than welcome quiet. It wasn't like he really enjoyed being surrounded by the other students or anyone in general.

Everyone was looking forward to Christmas. Draco Malfoy couldn't really say he counted to those people. He had no problem with Christmas. Usually he would enjoy it.

But not this year. Not last year. Not the one before. Too much had changed, nothing would ever be the same again.

The Wizarding World had changed and he was glad about that. Already towards the end of his sixth year, he had realised what a danger the Dark Lord had really been for everyone, not just for his obvious enemies. Because everyone could become his enemy. Just one little mistake would be enough.

Draco wasn't stupid; deep inside, he had always been aware of the fact that Voldemort had just chosen him for his horrible mission because he wanted to punish his father. For a little mistake he had made. It was easy to lose the respect and trust of the Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy had succeeded at making that happen.

His whole family had been at the edge of losing everything then. Draco wasn't really surprised that he had failed as a Death Eater; by the time he had become one, he had hoped that the Dark Mark would just disappear again. That he could return to being a plain student like everyone else.

No, the dark side wasn't exciting, it wasn't an adventure. He wasn't like his father; unlike Lucius, he could see what a horrible, cruel monster Voldemort really was. And barely Dumbledore had been killed and the whole nightmare had begun, Draco had already dearly hoped that somehow, Potter would find a way to stop the Dark Lord and win. Because he didn't want to live in such a world anymore. Because slowly, ever so slowly he was realising that maybe, just maybe his father's believes had been wrong. That he had been dragged into something he just wanted to get out of again.

His mother had lied straight into the face of Voldemort to protect him. His father had given up on fighting because he wanted his son back. But even though they had been reunited after all and neither of them had been sent to Azkaban because they hadn't participated in the battle itself, Draco knew that his relationship to his father wasn't the same anymore.

Because while they looked so alike, they didn't have much in common after all and he knew that Lucius had a problem with that. In the beginning, he would keep his thoughts to himself, mainly because he didn't want to anger his wife. But with the time, Draco had learnt that his father was disappointed.

Because his son, who had been supposed to be a younger version of himself, had turned into another direction, had started to question his father's beliefs. Draco knew he had failed in Lucius' eyes. He had failed so much that there was a distance between them that seemed to be impossible to pass.

And for the first time in a long while, Draco had been glad to return to Hogwarts. He could no longer handle his father's glances, the fact that he hadn't turned out to be the son he had been wishing for. That thanks to his behaviour, his father couldn't be proud of him.

Draco shuddered and he knew he couldn't blame the cold wind for that. Fear and pain were familiar feelings to him, not in a way like that though. It seemed to him like he was walking in a strange fog that was surrounding him, blinding him and making everything appear so surreal. There were times when he was unable to breath, unable to cry because the pain got too strong. There were times when he would hide somewhere and release those tears which he was trying to hide.

What did the future hold for him? For the young man no one cared for anymore, especially not his father? Crabbe had been killed by his own curse. Goyle had left. Blaise and Pansy were busy with themselves and their relationship which had obviously developed during their seventh year. The other students didn't like him either and he couldn't blame them. And now even his father had withdrawn from him.

It was a loneliness that was threatening to overwhelm him at times, that was getting to him more and more. Since he had been a little boy, Draco had tried whatever he could to please his father. Always he had wanted Lucius to be proud of him. His father had been his idol and he wanted to make him happy.

He had failed, over and over again. Because Potter had gotten into the way. Because Granger's grades had been better than his. Because he hadn't been able to be a Death Eater. Because he had started to make up his own ideas regarding topics Lucius had a strict opinion about.

He had failed at pleasing his father at so many occasions. And now he had to pay for it. He could see the disappointment in Lucius' eyes, could hear it in his voice, could notice it in his entire behaviour. One nightmare had ended, another one had started.

How could he even care for Christmas when he wouldn't go home as he couldn't face the man who had once been his idol anymore? When he would have to stay at Hogwarts instead?

Draco tightened his robe around himself as he stopped and looked up towards the castle. Bright lights could be seen everywhere. Most likely people were sitting together in their common rooms now, chatting. Certainly they were excited because of the holidays and nervous because of the last few exams before the end of the year.

Shaking his head, Draco started to head back to the large building. He couldn't stay outside in the cold forever. It didn't wipe away the pain. Maybe sleep would do better work. At least chances were high no one would bother to keep him awake.


	2. One and One

**Title:**Broken Hearts  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.  
**Rating:** PG - 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The Harry Potter Series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit. Cover art by Phoenix_87 TDA  
**Author's Note:** Written for dramioneremix (2012). My original couple was Faramir/Eowyn, and there's the Christmas prompt. This is how the prompts are used in the story: Draco has a complicated relationship with his father (like Faramir), Hermione has a broken heart (like Eowyn) and they comfort each other during the Christmas holidays, which they spend together at Hogwarts. Eventually, this brings them closer together.

* * *

**Chapter 2: One and One**

"_Miss Granger, I'm sorry but you have to leave as well now."_

Hermione sighed deeply as she made her way down the stairs, away from the library. Of course everyone already believed that the library had become something like a second home to her, she wouldn't have expected that one day, she would be politely asked to leave.

And where should she go to now? Balancing the books she had taken with her, she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Of course she could go to bed now; it was late enough after all and even though he couldn't really do anything against it, she didn't want Filch to catch her either.

Aimlessly, she walked down the hallways until she found herself in front of the large entrance door. Since Hogwarts had reopened for the new school year, the doors closed at a later hour than usually. She could still go outside for a little walk. Maybe then she would be tired enough to go upstairs and fall asleep.

Without having to face either Ginny or Lavender. Both were her friends, both she couldn't handle at the moments. Because Ginny would just be worried again and because Lavender would of course remind her of Ron again.

She sighed deeply. How could things get so complicated? Their last year at Hogwarts had been supposed to be their best. A perfect year finally. A calm, nice year at their beloved school. And now she was dealing with a depression caused by a broken heart, hiding from her friends and wandering around the castle in the middle of the night.

Hermione shuddered as she was greeted by the cold wind that was roughly blowing across the school grounds. She should have taken her robe with her instead of the books. She rolled her eyes at herself. How was she supposed to pass her N.E.W.T.'s if she was so horrible at concentrating at the moment?

Obviously it had started to snow earlier. By now, a soft, layer was covering Hogwarts like a protective blanket. The sky had cleared again; above she could see the moon and stars sparkling along with it.

She made her way down the broad stairs. A curse escaped her as she slipped on the last one. Just in the last second, she managed to keep her balance. Unfortunately it resulted in her books being dropped.

"Damn!" she hissed angrily. So much for a relaxing walk before she would go to bed. "What's next?"

The sound of footsteps made her freeze for a moment. Of course someone had to witness the incident. She should have just gone upstairs and stayed there. Her sigh was followed by a frustrated groan as she looked up and found herself facing Draco Malfoy. Of all people, she had to meet him out here.

"You do know that this is not the library, Granger?" he asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Hermione glared at him. "Oh, are we funny today, Malfoy? Thanks for the information, I was already wondering where the bookshelves are."

He grinned in response. "Someone's in a bad mood I see." To her surprise, he knelt down and helped her to collect the books, preventing them from soaking even more in the fresh snow. Shivering thanks to the low temperatures now, she got up again, forcing herself to thank him for his help.

Malfoy nodded in response. "You should maybe go back inside."

"Why, to prevent the books from being dropped by me again?" Hermione asked back. Studying him, she felt herself getting even more confused which caused her frustration to increase. It was one of the few occasions on which she was meeting him outside a class. His presence wasn't as prominent as it had been during the previous years. In fact his behaviour reminded her a little of the one he had shown during their sixth year, just with the difference that most likely, he wasn't on a bad mission again. She couldn't deny she was surprised that he hadn't shot a single 'Mudblood' at her yet. In fact he had almost been friendly with picking up her books.

"No," he said then, as she had almost forgotten that she had asked a question in the first place. "But you're freezing obviously. We don't want you to get ill, right? Now that we still have a few exams to mind before the start of the holidays."

Hermione's eyes widened at his words. "And why would you even care, Malfoy?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, excuse me, am I disappointing your expectations of me? I could also insult you if you prefer that."

Another sigh escaped her. "Sorry, that was rude of me," she apologized. "I guess I just...well, didn't expect that you'd say something nice to me."

"That wasn't nice, it was something everyone would have said if they saw someone shivering like that," Malfoy answered. The familiar cold expression had returned; most likely he had realised that he had been friendlier to her than he had intended. "Of course you can do whatever you like. It's your business if you want to go for a walk in the cold while trying to avoid your ex-boyfriend's girl."

"Excuse me?" Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the...How..."

His grin returned. "You want to ask how I know about that? Everyone does, Granger. You, Potter and Weasley are the Golden Trio, remember? The heroes. Everyone knows everything about you. Besides it's quite obvious when Weasley and Brown show up everywhere together while you're trying to hide in front of everyone. Of course I can understand that; who would like to face the those two? One broke your heart, the other one stole your man. Not your favourite people of all, right?"

Hermione was shaking by now, but not only the cold could be blamed for that. It shocked her how much Malfoy seemed to know about her and her whole situation. He of all people, the wizard who had insulted her so often in the past. Why would he even bother to pay attention to those rumours and news?

"That's not what happened," she finally managed to say between clenched teeth. "We decided to end the relationship because we realised we're just friends and not more. And Lavender didn't steal him from me! They got together after we broke up." She groaned. "And I don't see why I should talk to you about that in the first place!"

He laughed. "Then don't. And especially don't lie. Who are you trying to fool? Every idiot would realise that he broke up with you and not that the two of you agreed to end it. You're still in love with him, why else would you keep such a distance between yourself and your friend? And hide in the library? Or rather run around in the cold than going into your common room?"

Gasping, Hermione stared back at him in disbelief. There he stood, with this stupid grin plastered across his face, prying apart her whole dilemma as if it was the most normal thing to do.

"And how come you know all that?" she decided to shoot back then. "How come Draco Malfoy is interested in knowing so much about my relationship with Ron?"

"I didn't say I'm interested in it," he hissed.

"Oh, no?" It was her turn to grin. "It might be obvious, but you don't seem like someone who pays a lot of attention to anything at the moment. Where are your followers, Malfoy? Too busy with themselves to prevent you from listening to Hogwarts Gossip? You think I'm hiding because I'm heartbroken and can't stand the sight of my ex with his new girlfriend? Then tell me, Malfoy, what about you? You're not walking around like you used to either. What are you hiding from? Where did all your self-confidence go?"

Hermione knew she was going too far, but she couldn't help herself. It was Malfoy of all people and the fact that he knew her so well for whatever reason bothered her. She didn't want anyone to tell her that she was heartbroken, especially not him. She couldn't deny she felt a little guilty though as she caught the look he gave her in response. Hermione could have added even more but she knew she would have gotten unfair then and there was still a line she didn't want to cross.

"Well," he said then, straightening himself after revealing for just a second that her words had made him feel uncomfortable in return. The emotionless mask reappeared as he added, "I don't need any stupid followers. I just want to be on my own and wait until the year is over. It's not like Hogwarts is the most enjoyable place on Earth."

"And yet you're going to stay here for Christmas," Hermione replied, quickly adding the information she had gotten in the morning when McGonagall had announced which students wouldn't go home during the holidays.

It was his turn to give a cold, surprised look. "Oh, how come you paid attention to that, Granger? Now who's paying attention to who, huh?"

Hermione could feel her cheeks flush as she glared back at him. She should have been prepared for such a reply. Moments like this frustrated her; she was angry and that affected her concentration. She was good at solving even the most complicated problem, but such discussions could easily get out of hand.

She opened her mouth to defend herself. "Just shut up, Malfoy," was all she managed to say though. Her arms wrapped more firmly around her books as she pressed them against her chest. "You think you understood what my problem is? You think I'm heartbroken? Maybe that's right. But do you think you're any less pathetic than me?"

And with those words, she turned around and hurried back into the castle. By the time she had reached the stairs that led up to the Gryffindor tower, she was still mad at him for figuring out what was bothering her that easily. But at the same time, she regretted her words, because she hadn't missed the brief moments in which she had been able to see through his mask. Obviously he had his own reasons for hiding.

* * *

It had taken him a while to fall asleep. Walking outside in the cold should have made him sleepy, but the incident with Granger had resulted in him being fully awake again. Draco didn't know whether he was mad at her because of the comments she had fired back or at himself for getting involved in such a discussion in the first place.

Yes, why exactly did he know so much about her and her relationship with Weasley? Of course he hadn't willingly paid attention, especially as he wasn't seen around enough people in the first place.

But apart from the few times he had heard that the couple had broken up and that Weasley and Brown had revived their past relationship, it really hadn't been hard to figure out what was going on.

Because more than once, he had caught Granger while trying to get away from her friends. And he had seen the expression in her eyes when she had done so.

This was not the expression of a winner. Of a celebrated heroine. In fact it reminded him a little of what he saw when he was looking into a mirror. Why exactly he had noticed that in the first place was a mystery to him. Why she had dared to question his self-confidence and had called him pathetic was another one.

And so he had needed a while until he had fallen asleep. The next morning, he had headed straight to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was the perfect way to avoid his housemates and their curious looks.

The Great Hall was almost empty at such an early hour. Draco was grateful for the fact that he still had the option to have breakfast already. He didn't want to wait until the room would get crowded again. Only a handful of other students from different houses seemed to be early risers; none of them he knew. With a relieved sigh, he sat down, reaching for the full plate of toast that appeared in front of him.

He had barely started to eat though as another person entered the hall. He groaned inwardly as he realised it was Granger who was on her way to the Gryffindor table, just to stop midway when she spotted him. He didn't get the chance to look away when she had already changed her direction and now headed towards the Slytherin table. For a second he wondered if he should get up again and leave, but he decided that such a behaviour would only make it worse and let him appear even more childish.

"Malfoy?" she asked as she reached him, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder.

"This isn't the Gryffindor table, you know," Draco couldn't help but say.

Granger rolled her eyes at him. After hesitating for another moment, she simply sat down across of him then. "I just...well, wanted to..." She paused, obviously fighting with herself. Then she added, "I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for being rude yesterday. That wasn't my intention. I was just not in the best mood, but it wasn't fair."

Draco's eyes widened in shock. Wondering if this was a trick, he studied her more closely. Her eyes only revealed that she really seemed to feel sorry though. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You're silly, Granger," he stated.

She glared at him. "Well, you could have just accepted my apologize."

"That's not what I meant," he answered. "Why do you apologize in the first place? During the last couple of years, I have insulted you so many times. You couldn't even be rude enough to top that."

Granger shrugged. "Just because you're like that doesn't mean I have to be either." She paused, looking him into the eyes. Her attention made him feel uncomfortable again, so did the fact that she was still sitting at the wrong table. With him.

"I apologized because I think you and I have something in common," she finally said. It took her another moment of hesitation before she continued, "You were right. Yes, I'm hiding in front of my friends because I don't want them to know how...well, how much the break up really affected me. That I'm heartbroken, like you said. Harry and Ginny deserve to be happy and I don't want to bother them with that. And Ron and Lavender...I guess you can imagine why I'm avoiding them."

"And why exactly are you telling me about that? Me of all people?" he wanted to know.

"Because as you don't like being around people at the moment either, chances aren't high that you're going to spread those news," she simply told him.

Draco couldn't help but smirk. "Good one, Granger." Then his face turned serious again. "And why do you think we have anything in common?"

"Because you're obviously running from something as well," she said. "You're not paying attention to anyone. You're behaving exactly like you did in our sixth year. But as I doubt that you're on a secret mission again, I think it's something else. Something that's bothering you."

He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise at her words. He could imagine how she had felt like the previous night when he had told her so openly what he had figured out. It was an embarrassing situation and once again he felt the strong urge to flee.

"I'm sorry, Granger," he decided to say then. "See, I didn't ask you to apologize or tell me that I was right with what I said. You did that because you wanted to. But if you expect me to talk about my business now, I have to disappoint you. We might have our problems but I doubt you'd find two people in this school who are more different from each other than us."

"Why?" Her eyes narrowed and for a moment, the look she gave him made him shudder. "You mean the whole Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry? Or are you talking about the fact that a pure-blood couldn't be more different to a Mudblood, huh?"

"I didn't say that!" He cursed himself as he felt his cheeks heating up. She had changed since he had insulted her with this word for the first time. Her sudden self-confidence surprised and in an odd way impressed him. Besides this thought really hadn't come to his mind when he had pointed out their differences.

"Whatever." Shrugging, Granger got up. "Like I said, I'm sorry. But one thing I'd like you to know. How many people do you know who are like you? The war should have taught us all one fact; that it doesn't matter how different we are from each other. You'll always find something you have in common with another person. In our case it's the fact that we're running from something. If there's someone who understands this feeling at the moment, it's me. I was willing to let you share those thoughts with me. And yes, despite of the fact that you've been an arse to me pretty much since the day I met you for the first time. Because I think clinging to the past won't get you anywhere. But if you rather want to keep on running from everyone and stay upset like that, do so. It's your business after all."

With those words, she left the Slytherin table again. But even though he knew a couple of people had watched the scene, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Mentally he cursed her for being right again; yes, they had something in common, as much as he wanted to deny that. And yes, his problems were his own business. Like her problems were hers.

And still she had talked to him about them. To him. Because of one simple reason; they were facing the same situation, they understood each other and for some reason she seemed to believe that talking to each other could work.

During his entire breakfast, he kept on throwing glances into her direction, wondering how it was possible that she had approached him, had apologized and then shared her problem with him. Where was her pride? He was the last person he would expect someone like her to go to.

By the time Granger got up to leave the Great Hall again, Draco couldn't sit still anymore either. They understood each other, no matter how different they were. And as they were avoiding people, chances weren't high that anyone would ever figure out what was bothering them. Those thoughts kept on spinning in his mind and as he had left the Great Hall behind, he knew what he had to do next.

His instinct led him to the library and he wasn't surprised as he found her sitting at one of the tables, as far away from the other students as possible. He hesitated for another brief moment before he strode over to her.

"Granger," he said, joining her at her table. "Listen to me and don't talk." She bit her bottom lip to suppress a chuckle obvious but nodded and so he continued, "Yes, there is a reason why I'm avoiding people. It's because of my father. I always knew I couldn't live up to his expectations. I mean, he wanted me to be a younger version of himself and he believed I was just like him. I really tried to please him. He's been my idol after all. But I didn't succeed. I failed at being the best student, at being the most respected student, at being a loyal Death Eater and at pretty much everything else. To make it worse, I stopped sharing his opinions with him and started to make up own ideas of how the Wizarding World should be like. To sum it up, I failed and he's disappointed in me. I'm not the son he wanted me to be and I'm reminded of that whenever he looks at me and whenever he speaks to me. It's not really nice to know that the person you always wanted to impress the most has given up on you like that. But who can I talk to about that? No one. Because no one cares and even if they care, they wouldn't understand. And I won't go home because I can't handle the way my father is looking at me. I don't need to be constantly reminded of what a failure I am."

A deep sigh escaped him at the end of his long speech. The moment he had started, talking about his problem had been easier than expected. It had all come out. Granger was watching him closely, much to his relief with a calm expression.

"May I talk now?" she asked.

"As long as you don't pity me," he answered.

Granger smirked. "Who said I would?"

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Come on, Granger, this behaviour doesn't suit you. You're too much of a good girl to pretend anything else."

She sighed playfully. "Fine." Another nod, then she added, "See, looks like we both have our problems with people at the moment. And we're both stuck at Hogwarts during the holidays because we have nowhere else to go."

"What about your family?" Draco wanted to know. "Or the rest of the Weasleys?"

Granger blushed softly as she answered, "My parents are still recovering from me Obliviating them and the Weasleys...can't you imagine the awkwardness?"

He nodded slowly. "You made a point. So, aren't we a bunch of brilliant people? You're heartbroken because the guy you love doesn't love you back and I have a father who I can't ever please. Pathetic, huh?"

Granger shrugged. "Depends on the point of view. I just think we have something in common because we have a problem that we don't want to share with anyone but each other obviously. It's good we noticed that I think."

"You mean because hiding is more fun when you're doing it together?" Draco asked back.

She chuckled. "If you want to see it like that, okay."

He couldn't help but smile as well. "Weasley is an idiot," he said before he could stop himself.

"No, he's not," Granger sighed. "He's not, believe me. But your father is if he's treating you like that."

"Hey, don't talk about him like that!" he replied.

She groaned. "I think we have quite a lot of work to do if we ever want to get over this, huh?"

It was his turn to shrug. "Whatever." He got up again. "You know what, Granger? Christmas won't suck. We'll just make sure the holidays will be great. Plain and simple. Who cares for stupid ex-boyfriends and disappointed fathers?"

She laughed, to his unexpected joy. "Sounds like a plan. Let's have a lovely Christmas then."

While Hermione focused her attention on her book again, Draco turned around to leave the library. He threw another short glance at her and couldn't help but smile. She was a crazy woman; he had always believed that. Who would have expected that one day, they would have a decent conversation? And then about a personal topic like that? Shrugging again, he headed down the stairs.


	3. Alone Together

**Title:**Broken Hearts  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.  
**Rating:** PG - 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The Harry Potter Series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit. Cover art by Phoenix_87 TDA  
**Author's Note:** Written for dramioneremix (2012). My original couple was Faramir/Eowyn, and there's the Christmas prompt. This is how the prompts are used in the story: Draco has a complicated relationship with his father (like Faramir), Hermione has a broken heart (like Eowyn) and they comfort each other during the Christmas holidays, which they spend together at Hogwarts. Eventually, this brings them closer together.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Alone Together **

Christmas holidays had approached fast, so had the expected awkwardness caused by saying good-bye to her friends. Hermione couldn't really blame them; neither of her friends was fully aware of what she was currently going through. How could they if she wasn't willing to talk? After all, they hadn't learnt how to read each other's minds yet.

"Are you sure you want to stay at Hogwarts?" Harry asked for what felt like the hundredth time already, studying her with his familiar concerned expression. Dragging his suitcase into the hallway. She had been waiting for them near the large entrance door. "I mean, you never did. Not once."

"It's okay, really," she told him, forcing herself to smile. The way Harry studied her though told her that she couldn't fool him. Not like that. "Harry, my parents are still recovering from being Obliviated. I know they'll question me if I spent the holidays with them, and I doubt that'd be good for them at all."

"You could always come with us," he suggested. As he caught the look she gave him, he added, "Hermione, you're always welcome at the Burrow, even if you and Ron are no longer together. You're best friends with him, Ginny and me. And Molly loves you like a daughter. She'd be happy if you decided to come as well."

Sighing inwardly, Hermione shook her head. It amazed her how successfully she had managed to hide her real problem in front of her friends so far; if even Harry believed that she didn't feel like she fitted into the Burrow anymore instead of realising that she was afraid of the awkwardness and spending so much time around Ron and Lavender, she must have done something right.

"It's okay, Harry, don't worry," she tried to assure him. The sound of laughter behind her made her wince. A moment later, Ron appeared next to her, one arm wrapped around Lavender's shoulders, who was looking up at him with sparkling eyes. The sight instantly brought back the familiar pain which never failed to cause a lump in her throat, making it hard for her to breath. Or to keep on smiling like everything was alright.

"Ready for the holidays?" Ron wanted to know, with a deep sigh dropping his suitcase. "Merlin, I'm really in need of some days off. I swear, the professors let us go through extra mean exams before Christmas."

"It really seems like that," Harry agreed, nodding in agreement.

Lavender's smile widened. "Well, you deserve your holidays then, because you did so well and you've studied so hard." She snuggled further into him, sighing comfortably. "I'm so looking forward to spending the holidays with you and your family. It'll be wonderful to get to know them!"

"And my mother's really looking forward to meeting you, too," Ron answered, grinning happily. "Would be great if Ginny finally showed up so we can leave. We'll miss the train otherwise."

"She said she'd be here soon," Hermione stated, fighting hard against the urge to turn around and run.

"I hope so," Ron answered. "What about you, Hermione? Any plans for your first holidays at Hogwarts? Or did you change your mind? You know, you could quickly pack up some stuff and go with us. My Mum would be happy. She loves you, you know."

Hermione forced a little smile back onto her face. Yes, she knew Molly Weasley loved her; most likely, this was one reason why the older woman had been so upset when she and Ron hadn't worked out. "It's fine, really," she repeated. "Look, the Burrow will be so full already with everyone who's been invited. Besides, I'm sure Christmas at Hogwarts is nice as well."

"Oh, it really is." Ron nodded eagerly. "I remember back then, in our first year, when we stayed here; it was great. But still...if you want to go with us, just say a word. You're always welcome at the Burrow, Hermione."

"I know," she pressed. More she didn't manage to say; she knew she was at the edge of losing it. A few more words and all her emotions would break out of her. There couldn't be a worse moment for that. Much to her relief, Ginny chose this moment to appear.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she said breathlessly. "But we can leave now." Looking up, she added, "Hermione, are you sure you won't come with us?"

"I am," she said. To prevent Ginny from asking further questions or having a closer look at her, she pulled her friend into a tight embrace. "Have...lovely holidays. Maybe write me a letter or two."

"Absolutely," Harry promised, offering a warm smile. For a brief moment, he studied her, in a way that made her nervous. But then Ginny grabbed his arm and pulled him with her. A minute later, her friends had left the castle. Another few moments later and she couldn't see them anymore in the distance. Squeezing her eyes shut, she fought against the rising tears. Swallowing hard, she tried to get rid of the lump in her throat, but she knew; nothing she could try would change the pain caused by seeing Ron with Lavender, by the fact that she would spend Christmas without her friends, knowing that they would celebrate at the Burrow together.

"Isn't it just disgusting?" a voice behind her said then. "Those love-birds. Weasley and Brown. I'm just glad they didn't bother us with kissing in public again."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned around. Malfoy, leaning against the wall, was studying her with a grin.

"I'm not in the mood for you making fun of me now, Malfoy," she stated.

"I'm not making fun of you, but of Weasley and his girl." Slowly, he made his way over to her. "What's the matter, Granger? Why so upset? Would you really rather like to spend Christmas with them? Would you've liked to go with them instead of staying here?"

Hermione groaned. "Malfoy...if you don't understand me, why don't you just shut up? I...of course I wouldn't want to go to the Burrow now! I don't want to see Ron and Lavender kissing all day long and I don't want to see Molly getting all excited because of her future daughter-in-law! Most likely, I'd be misplaced there anyway; I'm not a family member and my friends all have partners. But that doesn't change that they are, after all, my best friends! So far, I spent every Christmas with them and this time it'd have been the first calm one. You know, the first one without Voldemort or anything else dangerous getting into the way! But instead I'm staying here, miles away from the people who mean the most to me while they're enjoying a wonderful party together."

Hermione should have expected that speaking it out would only make her feel worse. She cursed herself as she could feel new tears rising; right now, in front of Malfoy, was the worst moment for breaking down and crying.

"You feel like Brown replaced her, don't you?" he asked then.

Taken aback by his unexpected question, she stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"She's replacing you," he stated. "Usually, it was always the Weasleys, you and Potter. Now it's the Weasleys, Potter and Brown. She's taken over your place and that's bothering you. You feel left behind, don't you? That on top of your unrequited love for Weasley, who's found his soulmate in his first ever girlfriend."

"How...dare you..." she stammered, utterly shocked by his words; shocked because she knew he was right. She felt pushed away, left out. This fact made her broken heart hurt even more.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" she hissed then, hectically turning around to hide the first rolling tears from him. Before she could reached the near stairs so, her arm was firmly grabbed and she was forced to stop.

"Granger, wait," Draco said, still in the confusing, calm voice he had used on her already while summing up his thoughts on her situation.

"Why?" she shouted back, spinning around. "So you can laugh at me? Because oh, look at Granger, she's crying because she's oh so lovesick. Because she's still into Weasley while he's moved on and is just about to bring the new girl home! Look everyone how pathetic Granger is!"

"That's not what I wanted to say," he told her firmly.

"Then why did you say that in the first place?" she asked back.

"Because it's the truth!" Draco answered. "What's the matter, huh? You can point out my problems to me, but when I'm doing the same, it's the most horrible thing in the world?" He paused, shaking his head at her. "Granger, it might be hard, but you need to wake up. Look at your friends, they already believe you've moved on. Why else would they invite you? Why would Weasley behave like nothing happened around you? Okay, one could say he's just too stupid to see what's going on..."

"He's not stupid!" Hermione interrupted him angrily. "Nothing of this is his fault, okay?"

"Fine." Draco shrugged. "Whatever. But what I'm trying to say is...move on, Granger! He's not coming back to you! He's together with Brown now, he's happy with her. Why else would he be smiling like a mad man around her all the time? And yes, his family will accept her as part of them, because damn, one day he might marry her. So all you can do is deal with it!"

"Oh, so you think I should just fall out of love with him, yes?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, by now shaking in anger. "Wow, thank you so much for this input, Malfoy! I'd never have thought of that myself!"

It was his turn to groan. "Merlin, Granger, how stubborn can you be? I know you can't just stop caring for someone! But you could at least try to move on. Do you think drowning yourself in pain will change anything? Look at yourself! You're hiding from your friends, you're even lying at them! I thought Potter was like a brother for you? Then why the hell didn't you tell him why you really didn't want to go with them, huh? Oh yes, because Miss Goody Good doesn't want to distract Potter whilst he's enjoying his love story with the Weasley girl. So telling him what's up with you is selfish, but what about Potter and Weasley shoving their love life into your face like that every single day? Is that any better?"

"What do you think why I've been avoiding them?" she asked between clenched teeth.

"Oh, fantastic!" Draco shook his head at her. "As if it's not bad enough that you're running around with a broken heart and a depression caused by it, you also have to hide so people don't feel uncomfortable thanks to you? How stupid is that, Granger? How do you want to move on if you keep on running away and smiling at everyone? You have to deal with it, and that means understanding what your real problems are and not hiding them to make it easier for your friends. You're here, crying your eyes out because they're having Happy Christmas now whilst you're stuck here! Is that fair? Is that what you wanted?"

At this point of their argument, Hermione didn't know whether to be angry or shocked anymore. She couldn't deny Malfoy's words made sense, as much as she hated to admit it. But could she really admit that? And, even more important, what was she supposed to do with the received information?

"Why do you even care?" she decided to ask then.

"Oh, didn't we have this conversation already?" he asked back. "Well, Granger, you talked me into telling you about my Father. That's something no one knows about! But you made me do it, so you have to deal with me commenting your behaviour as well. Deal with it!"

"There's quite a lot I have to deal with, huh?" she shot back.

"Then do it finally," he told her firmly. "Do you have any idea how silly the way you behaved around them looked like? You were so desperate at hiding what's going on. Are you masochistic? My opinion of the Weasel might not be the highest, but even I doubt that he'd show off his great love in front of you if he knew how you felt. Or Potter would get in the way. That's what I believe friends would do at least. They'd make sure you wouldn't be constantly reminded of what's depressing you. But they can't do that if you quietly move around them, making sure that they don't have to deal with your broken heart, while you don't give yourself a chance to move on with that at all."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Did you just say something nice about Harry and Ron? That they'd be good friends and make me feel better?"

It was Draco's turn to glare. "It doesn't matter what I said about them," he said. "I just think you should move on finally and that includes being honest to yourself and to them."

Hermione couldn't help but shake her head at him. "Are you even listening to yourself, Malfoy?" she wanted to know. "Not only can't I believe that you're talking to me like that in the first place, but...why? You still didn't tell me why you care in the first place. Why does it matter to you if I sit around crying or not?"

He stared back at her in silence. She could feel he hadn't been prepared for having to answer this question. For a brief moment, she believed Draco looked embarrassed. Then he straightened himself and shrugged. "Well, Granger, you're pretty much the only one I know who's staying here over Christmas. We agreed that we'd somehow handle these holidays together and I'm not in the mood for seeing you cry all the time."

Glaring at him, Hermione pulled her arm out of his grip. "Oh, I see. Well, don't worry, Malfoy, I managed to hide my tears in front of my friends, I'll do so in front of you, too. I won't bother you with them."

He sighed in response. "That's not what I meant."

"Then maybe you should decide on what you mean and what you don't," she said firmly. "Happy holidays."

And with those words, she turned around and hurried up the stairs. Hermione could feel Draco was still watching her, but she didn't look back. She didn't want him to know that somewhere deep inside, she had hoped that maybe, just maybe, he hadn't just talked to her because of selfish reasons, and that she couldn't deny he had been right with every single word he had said.

* * *

The Great Hall looked as colourful and Christmas themed as ever. So far, Draco couldn't really say that he felt the old excitement, caused by this sight. In fact, if he was entirely honest, he didn't feel anything as he made his way along the Slytherin table.

It seemed like almost everyone had left Hogwarts by now. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed the calm quiet in the usually overly crowded room. No one would bump into him, no one would try to engage him in a boring conversation.

Yet the expected relief wasn't kicking in. Of course he could have gone home; his mother would have been happy to celebrate with him. It had been entirely his decision to stay at Hogwarts.

But even though he missed Narcissa, he didn't think he could handle being at the manor. Not this time. He had seen enough of his father's disappointment over the last few months.

Shaking his head, Draco looked up from his plate again. Even eating seemed rather hard at the moment, and the worst was that he didn't even understand his own feelings, his own behaviour. Yes, it had been his decision to stay at Hogwarts. Shouldn't he be glad that he didn't have to face Lucius? Shouldn't he enjoy that he could have calm and quiet holidays instead?

Briefly, his eyes travelled over to the teachers' table. McGonagall had taken over Dumbledore's old seat in the middle of the row. The sight caused a short, yet harsh rush of guilt flashing through him. Of course he knew by now that things had turned out the way their old headmaster had planned them, but it didn't change the guilt that would never fully go away.

Snape had returned to his old chair and, like always, was paying attention to himself and his plate rather than the rest of his colleagues. After recovering from his injuries, caused by the attack of Nagini, he had quickly made sure that people were aware of the fact that he didn't want to be praised as a hero. He also didn't want to talk about what Potter had revealed to Voldemort during their duel; that Snape had been in love with said boy's mother. For all his life, obviously.

People, still rather scared of the potions teacher, had listened to his wish and so Snape only received the occasional curious glances of those students, who still wished to know more but didn't dare to ask. Studying his teacher, Draco couldn't help but think that somehow, he could understand Snape. Both of them were complicated, neither of them really had anyone who they could show their real thoughts and feelings to. Would he turn out to be like Snape one day? Would he be as lonely and focused on himself as the older man?

What exactly was ahead of him in the first place? What would happen after leaving Hogwarts? Which chances did he have? And, even more important, what did he want to do with himself? If he had managed to please his father, had managed to be the son Lucius Malfoy had always wanted, he could have most likely counted on his father. Lucius would have found something for him.

Draco knew he had to rely on himself now, on his own abilities. Times when Lucius would have stepped in were over, because he had failed at everything his father had expected from him. Forcefully looking away, Draco swallowed hard to get rid of the rising lump in his throat. He would be lying if he said that he had wanted to be involved in anything his father had planned for him. He still couldn't understand how his father had willingly become a Death Eater, most likely had even enjoyed this role before Voldemort had disappeared for the first time, while this world had seemed to be nothing else like an endless nightmare to Draco. Back then, when he had been forced to take the Dark Mark, he had realised for the first time that obviously, he and his father didn't have as much in common as he had expected. Back then, he had known that he would never succeed at anything Lucius expected from him.

He had been aware of the fact that he could only fail, and it had happened just like that.

Just as his view was slowly starting to get foggy and he desperately hoped that he wouldn't unleash his emotions right in the middle of the Great Hall, he spotted her. Tightly clutching the bag, filled with her books, to her chest, Granger hurried in, just to stop at the end of the Gryffindor table again. Even from the distance, he could spot the change of expression in her eyes. Most definitely, she had spent the last couple of hours at the library, distracting herself with all those books she was carrying now. Probably, they had helped her to forget what was bothering her for a while.

Facing the empty table though seemed to bring said problems back with a stunning force though. She stood in place as if paralysed, staring at the empty seats where she would usually sit with her friends. Her chest was heaving and falling with heavy breath as she was obviously doing what he was struggling with at the moment himself: keeping control.

Their earlier conversation pushed its way back into his mind then. Draco still didn't completely understand where his speech had been coming from. He could understand Granger's confusion. Why would he even care? Why would he try to give her advice for her current situation? The urge to talk to her had been there though, and he hadn't been able to resist it. It had been too strong.

Just like his current urge to hurry over to her, grab her arm and pull her away from the table, away from those curious looks, thrown into her direction. Of course, Granger was still one of those famous war heroes for most students. Everything she did was watched and analysed. Most likely, everyone at Hogwarts knew more about her unrequited love and depression caused by it than Granger and Weasley themselves. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't seem to notice that almost everyone in the Great Hall was staring at her now; he could only imagine how embarrassed she would be the moment she would become aware of those glances.

But why did he care? Why did it matter to him? Should she be embarrassed in front of the entire Great Hall; it was none of his business. At least it would prevent people from staring at him.

As much as he tried to force those thoughts into his mind though, it didn't work. He understood Granger, understood the pain that kept on overwhelming her, in the worst of all moments. Taking a deep breath, he fought with himself once again. Then he got up. The unexpected movement in the room obviously managed to catch her attention more than the whispering that had started all around her. Her eyes darted over to him. As her face blushed bright red, realisation must have hit her. Silently, he gestured her to leave the Great Hall again while he picked up a couple of slices of toast and whatever else he got his hands on. Silently, slowly and firmly ignoring the increasing whispers, he followed her. He had to follow her to the nearest staircase until she finally stopped.

"That was quite a show you gave in there," he stated.

"Did you enjoy it?" Granger hissed back, looking up at him with a glare. It couldn't hide her rising tears though, neither could it overplay her bright red cheeks.

"If I did, I wouldn't have brought some food for you, right?" Draco asked back, presenting his possessions to her. "Thought you might be hungry, but the Great Hall might not be the best place for a quiet dinner right now."

She stared back at him in disbelief, just like he had expected her to. "Why?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Stop asking, Granger. It was you who stalked me down, revealed her problems to me and made me talk about mine. What do you expect from me now? You know, women are complicated in general, but you top them all." He shoved half of what he had gathered into her arms. "I'm not really in the mood for going back in there either, so do you know where we could go to instead?"

Granger studied him in silence for another endlessly long moment. It was obvious that she hadn't been prepared for the fact that he was indeed willing to do what she had asked for: to comfort each other during this rough time.

"We could go into the Gryffindor tower," she suggested then.

He groaned, couldn't deny he liked the tiny smirk that lit her face though. "Are you kidding me, Granger? The Gryffindor tower? I'd rather drag you into the Dungeons with me instead. Much nicer place anyway."

She snorted. "You wish." Then a sigh escaped her. "Okay, why don't we just go into one of the classrooms? That's definitely a place where no one will get on our nerves."

He just nodded in agreement, following Granger as she took the lead. She lead him almost through half of the castle until she had found a classroom that seemed to be appealing to her and pulled him inside.

"If anyone saw us, they might get a wrong idea of what's going on here," he told her with a grin, earning another glare in response.

"Just sit and eat," Granger told him. Not bothering to go for one of the tables, though, she chose a corner of the room and let herself slide to the ground. He didn't hesitate this time as he joined her. They ate in silence for a while. It was a silence he could get used to; no one was bothering him, yet he wasn't alone. Who would have expected that Granger could be such a bearable companion?

"How will I ever be able to eat in the Great Hall again?" she said then, startling him.

"Excuse me?"

Granger's cheeks had started to flush again. "Well, you saw how I embarrassed myself in front of everyone. It could've only been worse if I had started to cry right in front of them. How stupid of me."

Draco shrugged. "You're not the only one who gets stared at. Besides, the whole school is talking about you and Weasley anyway. I guess only your ex and your dear friends don't really know what's going on with you."

"You think so?" She stared at him in shock.

"What do you think, Granger?" he asked back. "If I see it, chances are high so do others. At least now that you decided to stay here rather than go with them to the Weasleys like you usually do. You've never stayed at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays."

"You didn't either," Granger shot back.

Draco nodded. "Like I said, you're not the only one who's stared at."

Her facial expression changed within an instant, and he mentally cursed himself for having said too much once again. "If you plan on asking me how I'm feeling, I'd suggest you quickly forget that again," he added firmly.

It was Granger's turn to roll her eyes. "Merlin, Malfoy, stop being so stubborn. You don't really look like the definition of happiness either."

"Then there's no need to ask more, right?" he shot back. "I'm okay, Granger, don't worry. I'm not the son my father wanted me to be. I'll deal with it, don't really have a choice anyway, right?"

"It's unfair," she stated quietly.

"It's not," he said between clenched teeth. "Just drop it, Granger. It's okay."

"No, it's not!" Once again, Granger glared at him, in a different way this time though. "This is silly, Malfoy. Why do we keep on yelling at each other every time we try to offer some kind of comfort? The situation is bad enough, isn't it?"

Draco shrugged. "So what do you expect me to do? Break down and cry because Father doesn't love me anymore? Is that what you want me to do?"

"If that's what you feel like doing..." she replied.

"Merlin!" he hissed. "You're stubborn, did anyone ever tell you?"

"So what?" she shouted back. "You can confront me like you did earlier, yes? You can throw all these things at me and tell me what I should do, but every time I try to do the same, you react like that! It's unfair, you know?"

"When are things ever not unfair, huh?" He shook his head at her. With a deep sigh, he added, "Granger, I'm not like this, okay? I don't talk about feelings. For all my life, I was taught that you shouldn't do that."

"By who? The man who's disappointed because you didn't turn out to be the perfect copy of himself which he wanted you to become?"

"He's right though," Draco stated. "If you keep your feelings to yourself, if you don't let them take over...it makes life so much easier. Look at yourself. If you hadn't fallen in love with Weasley, you wouldn't be heartbroken and depressed now. It's the best you can do; keep your feelings to yourself, and don't allow them to get too strong."

"And you succeeded at that so perfectly, yes?" Granger asked back. "That's why you don't care for your father's opinion at all, right? Because you can control your feelings so well."

"Oh, thanks for pointing out that there's something else I failed at!" he hissed back, hating himself for the fact that his mask was gone completely now.

"I'm sorry." Her expression softened instantly. "I didn't mean it like that. I just...wanted to show you that you can't control your feelings, no matter how hard you try. You're hurt by what your father is doing to you, and you have all rights to feel that way. It's nothing to be ashamed of, at least not in front of me."

"Easier said than done, right?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Tell me, what am I supposed to do? I can't change my situation. He's my father, and he won't change his opinion about me."

"Maybe not," she said. "Maybe he won't. But...see, Malfoy, what did you tell me to do? You said I should deal with it."

"He's my father!"

"Yes, he is," Granger replied firmly. "And yes, I can only imagine what it's like for you to believe that your father doesn't love you the way he should, that he's disappointed. But that doesn't mean you failed, and not for a second, you should believe that!"

"Oh no? And what makes you think that?"

"Malfoy, please!" She groaned. "Your father was a Death Eater, and he wanted you to become a dark wizard, just like him! Instead, you decided to take a different path though. You don't seriously think that not being able to kill Dumbledore means you failed?"

"Of course not, and it's not just about that," he answered between clenched teeth. "I didn't succeed with anything! I told you so, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Granger answered. "And still it's no reason to believe you've failed. Yes, you didn't turn out the way your father wanted you to be. You're different. But does different mean worse? His expectations were wrong, not your behaviour! I know it's hard for you, I know you can't just leave it behind, because he's still your father, like you said. But you, you shouldn't feel like a failure, because you're not! You've done the right thing, and you've started to form your own opinions. You're seeing the world from a different point of view now, despite what you've been taught! That's good, that's something you can be proud of!"

"Proud?" He snorted. "Are you kidding me, Granger? Proud? Of what, of being a coward?"

"No, proud of the man you've become now!" she explained firmly. "You're not a younger copy of your father, and that's so much harder than just doing what you're told without questioning it. You have to stop believing that you've failed, just because you didn't meet your father's expectations. You're great the way you are, no matter what anyone might try to make you believe! It's good that you didn't turn out to be like him. If he still doesn't understand that, then he should be ashamed. Not you. Definitely not you."

It was his turn to stare at her in disbelief. That Granger was good with long speeches wasn't new to him. Granger thinking that he should be proud of who he'd become though was a different story.

"It's hard to grow up," she continued before he got the chance to reply. "But as hard and as painful as it might be, you have to do it. If he can't accept you the way you are, you have to move on, Malfoy. You can't change him, and you don't have to convince him that you're worth being loved! If he doesn't see that, it's his problem. You have to free yourself of that."

"So I should just accept that I have no one anymore, right?" he couldn't help but ask back, not caring for the revealing sound of his voice. "That I'm all on my own now, all alone?"

"You're not." Granger shook her head at him. "You're not, Malfoy. You still have your mother, and she's not thinking that you failed, right? She never wanted you to be like your father, otherwise she'd have been proud when you took the Dark Mark, not trying what she could to protect you. And right now, you're not alone, either, are you?"

In silence, he looked back at her. An old, familiar instinct was telling him that he should back off, shouldn't accept her silent offer. He wasn't alone, because he had his mother, but also because he could have her, if he wanted to. As a friend. Because both of them understood each other's pain, and in Granger's eyes, dealing with it together was easier than dealing with it alone.

But he didn't want to back off. Not this time. Yes, he felt lonely. Very lonely. And he would be lying if he said that he wasn't grateful for her company; deep inside, he knew that he wanted to have such a friend, who understood him, who didn't think he had failed. He wanted someone who believed that he wasn't worthless, that he wasn't just one walking disappointment.

"And here we are again," he said then, knowing that she was waiting for any kind of reaction from him. "Alone, and yet not alone at the same time."

"Seems like that." The hint of a smile lit her face and she sighed. "It's hard, isn't it? But I think we should listen to each other. We have to move on; I have to get over my feelings for Ron or I won't ever get out of this depression again, and you have to move on from being hurt because you think you're not good enough for your father."

"And how are we going to do that?" he wanted to know. "So far, it didn't work."

"Because we still keep on running around alone, talking to no one really," she suggested. "Maybe it'd be better if we stopped doing that, if we tried to distract ourselves, until we realise that it's not hurting so much anymore."

Playfully, Draco rolled his eyes. "I know what's coming next. You're suggesting that you and I should spend more time with each other, to distract each other, right?"

Granger chuckled. "It's worth a try, isn't it? Couldn't get much worse than it's right now. The holidays aren't good for keeping your mind busy, so maybe a friend by your side would make it easier."

He shrugged. "Maybe it's worth a try." He sighed again as she smiled. Maybe it was worth a try. Maybe.


	4. It's Working

**Title:**Broken Hearts  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.  
**Rating:** PG - 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The Harry Potter Series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit. Cover art by Phoenix_87 TDA  
**Author's Note:** Written for dramioneremix (2012). My original couple was Faramir/Eowyn, and there's the Christmas prompt. This is how the prompts are used in the story: Draco has a complicated relationship with his father (like Faramir), Hermione has a broken heart (like Eowyn) and they comfort each other during the Christmas holidays, which they spend together at Hogwarts. Eventually, this brings them closer together.

* * *

**Chapter 4: It's Working**

Hermione had to admit that obviously, arguing with Draco had worked much better than anything else she could have tried. Yelling at each other and sharing their views on the other's situation had eventually brought them to the point where Hermione had wanted to see them all the time.

Getting over the fact that Ron, Harry and Ginny had left to celebrate with the Weasleys wasn't easy of course. She couldn't deny that she would have liked to go with them, would have loved to enjoy Molly's enormous Christmas menu, would have liked to spend times with those people who meant so much to her.

Instead, Lavender was in her position now. Most likely, she would sit beside Ron, would laugh about the jokes made by the twins, would answer all of Molly's questions, would experience how welcome, how happy and at home one could feel at the Burrow.

To sum it up, she could experience everything Hermione had once had, and could still have if she and Ron had worked as a couple. If Ron had returned her feelings, instead of realising that Lavender was his true love.

Accepting this fact was as hard as accepting that she and Ron could never have the relationship she had dreamt of. And there was no one to blame for that. She knew Ron had tried, and had hated to end the relationship because he hadn't wanted to hurt her. But some things couldn't be changed.

Malfoy was a surprisingly good distraction though. First of all, the Slytherin had to deal with his own problems; the fact that his father was disappointed, that he had turned out to be the son Lucius Malfoy had always been hoping for, was bothering him more than he was willing to admit. Although he had admitted a lot to her lately.

Apart from that, he knew how to talk to her. He wouldn't hide his opinion between sweet words. Instead, he would tell her what he was thinking straight away, and she couldn't deny his speech, after Harry, Ron and Ginny had left, had made perfect sense to her.

Still, waking up on Christmas wasn't nearly as enjoyable as it had been during the previous years, with one exception. For a brief moment, as she was still snuggling into her pillow, seeing the first sun rays finding their way into her bedroom, she felt a nice, comfortable feeling spreading inside her. For a brief moment, she even smiled.

Said smile disappeared quickly though as reality rushed back. Sighing deeply, she wrapped her blanket more firmly around herself. Christmas in Hogwarts. It could surely have its good sides. But at the moment, she didn't see a sense in getting up. She wasn't hungry either. She could just go back to sleep for another few hours. Maybe she could also use a spell on herself and spend the rest of the day in a deep slumber.

Just as she was about to fall asleep again though, a firm knocking on her bedroom door forcefully brought her back to the present. She had barely rolled over, wondering whether or not to ask her visitor to come in, as the door was already pushed open.

"Morning, Granger," Draco greeted her.

"What the..." Sitting up straighter, Hermione stared at him in a mix of shock and disbelief. "How dare you to come in here?! Did you hear me say 'come in'?"

"No, but I thought you wouldn't mind." He grinned. "Don't you want to know how I managed to get into the Gryffindor tower in the first place?"

"Surely you threatened someone into letting you in," she hissed, cursing herself for the fact that she was blushing. Having Malfoy in her bedroom wasn't really the way she wanted to wake up. At least not without having him invited at first. She groaned inwardly.

"I didn't have to." He made his way over to her bed. "I didn't even have to say anything to that first year boy. He just let me in willingly. I never thought it'd be that easy to get in here."

"Usually, it is." Hermione glared at him. "And I never thought you'd be rude like that and walk straight into a girl's bedroom."

"I knocked," he stated.

"And I didn't say 'come in'!"

Draco just shrugged in response. "Calm down, Granger. After all, I didn't catch you naked, right?" His grin widened.

"Just shut up, Malfoy." Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't you want to know why I'm in here in the first place?" he wanted to know.

"Stop telling me what to ask!" she hissed. "Why are you here?" Instinctively, she backed off as he sat on the edge of her bed. She was sure her face had turned red bright now. But even more than her obvious embarrassment, she hated the fact that she enjoyed his presence, for whatever strange reason.

"Well, it's Christmas, and we agreed to spend it together, right?" he asked back. "I was getting bored, so I decided to see if you were awake already."

Hermione couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise: not because of the way he had spoken to her, but because of the content of his answer.

"Oh, so you missed me already, yes?" she asked before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened in shock then, especially as her words made the grin return.

"Is that what you're wishing for, Granger? You could've just told me."

She just rolled her eyes again. "Why did you get bored though? I'm sure you got presents, didn't you?"

He nodded. "Sure, I did. Sweets, clothes, things like that. From my mother." He paused.

"And your father?" she asked.

He glared at her for a brief moment. Then he sighed. "What do you think, Granger? I didn't just disappoint him, I also refused to come home for the holidays. Certainly, he's angry because he can't rub into my face what an epic fail I am."

"That's just silly." She shook her head.

"Whatever." He turned his attention to the bottom of her bed. "What about you? Not curious what your lovely friends got you?" He waved his wand, lifted the presents with that and then let them drop into her lap. "Go on, open them."

She stared back at him for another moment. Knowing that he wouldn't leave her alone, she started to unwrap her presents. Like expected, she had received mostly books, along with a warm pullover from Molly Weasley and a couple of sweets.

"Is there a special reason why you saved Potter's present for the end?" Draco wanted to know.

She sighed. "Not that this is anything of your business, but Harry usually comes up with the most fitting presents. It's scary sometimes how well he knows me."

"Yes, Potter, everybody's hero," Draco muttered. "Come on, open it already."

"We're a little impatient, aren't we?" She shook her head at him. Then, her own curiosity took over though and she started to open the gift. It was another book, but this one caught her attention the most. Her eyes widened as she read the title. With shaking hands, she grabbed the card, which was attached to the book, and opened it.

"Dear Hermione," she read to herself, ignoring the fact Malfoy had moved closer so he could peek into the card as well. "I have to admit I was a bit unsure whether or not to give you this book. But I think 'How to deal with a broken heart' is what you need right now. I wish you could've come with us to the Burrow; leaving you at Hogwarts is the last thing I wanted to do. You don't seem like you want to talk about it, but I'm your best friend, Hermione. I noticed how much you've been avoiding us lately. A broken heart can be horrible, and it's sad to see that you have to deal with one right now. I wish you and Ron could've worked out. You still love him, don't you? Unfortunately, I can't do much to heal a broken heart, but know that when I'm back, you can always come to me. That what friends are for. Until then, maybe this book can offer a little comfort. From what I read, it seems to be a good one. Merry Christmas, Hermione. I hope by the time I'm back at Hogwarts, you'll stop avoiding me. Like I said, I'm your friend, and I'll listen. Harry."

Hermione had tried her best, but as she had finished Harry's letter, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Her view had turned foggy, and just a moment later, the first tears were rolling down her cheeks.

She should have expected that Harry had managed to see right through her, that he would listen if she approached him. Once again, he had read her mind perfectly. Dropping the card, she buried her face in her hands, desperately wishing she could get back in control over her emotions.

But the tears wouldn't stop. So overwhelmed by the newly rising pain, she almost missed the light movement on her bed. She was startled by the arm that wrapped around her shoulders then, and instinctively, she wanted to pull back. He wouldn't let her though, and, too weak to fight, she simply let herself fall against him, allowing him to hold her close. And for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel lonely anymore.

It seemed like eternity until Hermione could feel herself calming down again. Malfoy's arms stayed wrapped around her in a tight, comforting embrace until her sobbing finally stopped. Only when she was sure that she was capable of speaking again, she moved to sit up decently again.

Wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt, she placed her presents on her bedside table. Harry's book was put on top of the stack, along with his letter. It was this moment that her face reddened again in embarrassment. Much to her surprise, she didn't find any amusement in Draco's face though. Instead, he was studying her with a serious, almost thoughtful expression.

"Sorry," she couldn't help but say.

"For what?" he asked back. "Now that we had a look at our presents, maybe it's about time to eat something. And after that...well, I guess it's your turn to come up with something for the rest of the day."

"I'm not sure I'm really in the mood to come up with good idea," she said with a sad smile.

"Never mind," he replied. "I'm not either. So if you want to spend the whole day with sobbing into my shirt, I'll go with that, too."

Laughing now, Hermione slapped his arm. "That's not funny, okay?"

"You're the one who's laughing." Draco winked at her. "Now get up and get dressed. I'll wait outside."

And without waiting for a further reaction from her, he left the bedroom. Slightly confused, Hermione stared at the closed door. Who would have expected something like that? Shaking her head, she pushed her blanket aside and got up.

* * *

Christmas was turning out to be a lot calmer than he had expected. After having breakfast, he and Granger had headed to the library, where they had stayed until lunch. Now, as afternoon was approaching, they had left the castle, were making their way across the school grounds.

Even now, hours later, Draco was still surprised by Granger's earlier breakdown. So far, he hadn't been in her situation: he had never been in love and so had no idea what it was like to deal with a broken heart. From own experience, he knew that suppressing feelings only made them worse; he was fantastic at doing that himself. Obviously, Potter's present had made her unleash what she had been holding back all the time.

Obviously, comfort from his side had been what she had needed as well. Draco still didn't know what exactly had made him reach out, pull her into his arms. A strange instinct had taken over. It had worked. She had calmed down eventually, had even agreed to go downstairs and have breakfast with him.

And, much to his surprise, he had been happy to see the effect his actions had had on her. He had felt a lump rising in his throat when she had broken down. He had felt relieved when she had left the common room with a tiny smile.

When exactly had he started to care for Granger? Draco didn't know, and he also didn't see a sense in analysing his thoughts. Granger was treating him nicely and with respect, despite everything he had done to her and her friends in the past. He liked her, yes. More than he would have ever dared to imagine. Questioning this fact wouldn't lead him anywhere.

"Oh Merlin, those are so good," Granger said then, interrupting him in his thoughts. "Are you sure you want to share all your sweets with me?"

"I have enough of them," he answered, shaking his head briefly to clear his mind. He pulled her over to a bench, near the edge of the Black Lake. Of the few students, who had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, barely any had decided to leave the castle as well. It was an icy day, Hogwarts and its school grounds were covered with a thick layer of snow. At least, there wouldn't be any curious people watching them.

"Are you sure?" she asked before she shoved another piece of chocolate into her mouth.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Merlin, stop asking. Just eat. They say chocolate is the best when you're not in the best mood, and after that breakdown this morning, you're obviously in need of some."

Granger smiled. "That was nice by the way. That you comforted me I mean. You could've just left, or made fun of me."

"It was nothing special," he answered, dearly hoping that his face didn't show his own embarrassment. "I'm not the idiot I've once been anymore. Told you so, didn't I?"

She nodded. Her expression softened as she added, "Which is exactly why I think you shouldn't listen to your father."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Now's not the time to talk about my father."

Granger sighed. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, alright? Look at me. You saw me cry this morning, because of a present I received." She studied him for a moment. "Please, don't get offended. I'm not trying to judge, but if your father can't see that he has all reasons to be proud of you, he didn't understand anything. Despite all the bad influences around you, you learnt to form your own opinions, to see the world from your own point of view. You could've easily become a younger copy of your father. But you didn't. You're a person of your own, Malfoy. And that's something you can be really proud of. And as long as your father doesn't understand that, he's the one who should be ashamed, not you. It's you, who has a lot of reasons to be disappointed by him, not vice versa. You should focus on those who treasure the person you've become instead, even if it's hard."

For a couple of moments, Draco could only stare at her in disbelief. More than once already, she had told him to stop feeling ashamed because his father was disappointed in him. The way she had said it this time though was different, so was the look she was giving him.

"You're just saying that because I was nice to you this morning," he couldn't help but say.

She groaned. "No, I'm not. I mean it. You'll just have to accept it."

Once again, he just stared at her. There, next to him on this ice-cold bench, sat Granger, the girl, who had annoyed him so often in the past with her know-it-all and bossy attitude. Granger, who believed that he could be proud of himself, that he was the one who had the right to be disappointed. This information wasn't knew, but this time, Granger hadn't yelled at him during an argument. This time, he didn't feel like she wanted to convince him. It seemed like she just wanted to share her thoughts with him.

"You know," he started before he could stop himself. "You also shouldn't be upset. If Weasley prefers Brown over you, he's just silly."

"Don't say something like that." Granger shook her head. "Ron didn't do anything wrong. When you fall in love, you can't always expect the other person to love you back. Sometimes, your feelings aren't returned. You have to deal with it."

"When exactly have you found time to read your new book? I was around you all the time," Draco replied.

Granger chuckled. "I didn't read it yet, and just because I'm saying something that makes sense, it doesn't mean I've already accepted it. But I think I'm getting there. Sooner or later. I have to, I don't have another choice anyway. Ron won't come back to me. Chances are high that one day, he'll marry Lavender. I can't always run after him and be upset because we didn't work out. And you shouldn't always run after the silly idea to please your father. You weren't born to please him. You've turned out to be a fine man, and he should see that. If he doesn't that's his problem, not yours."

"I'm a fine man, yes?" Draco grinned.

"Well, yes." Much to his amusement, Granger blushed again. "At least you're not the horrible idiot you've been during the last couple of years."

"What a lovely compliment. Thanks you so much, Granger," he said sarcastically. Then he turned serious again. "Listen, you're a fine person yourself. Weasley chose Brown, that's his problem. But I'm pretty sure out there is a man, who'll see more than just a friend in you. A man, who'll fall in love with you. Who'll see what a beautiful and smart woman you are."

Once again, Granger studied him with an expression that confused him. Yes, she was indeed a beautiful woman; now that he was sitting so close, right next to her, he could clearly see it. If someone shouldn't have a problem with finding a man, it was her. To his surprise, the thought of that caused a strange discomfort deep within him.

"And what if I don't love him back?" she asked then.

Draco shrugged. "Then you'll buy him Potter's book for his broken heart."

He smiled as Granger laughed in response. It stayed while she turned her attention back to the bag of sweets she was holding. It was nice to see her smile. And for the first time in a long while, he almost forgot about the older Malfoy back home, who he had disappointed so much.


	5. Changing

**Title:**Broken Hearts  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.  
**Rating:** PG - 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The Harry Potter Series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit. Cover art by Phoenix_87 TDA  
**Author's Note:** Written for dramioneremix (2012). My original couple was Faramir/Eowyn, and there's the Christmas prompt. This is how the prompts are used in the story: Draco has a complicated relationship with his father (like Faramir), Hermione has a broken heart (like Eowyn) and they comfort each other during the Christmas holidays, which they spend together at Hogwarts. Eventually, this brings them closer together.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Changing**

Unlike what Hermione had expected, the winter holidays really turned out to be surprisingly nice. She and Draco had spent their entire holidays with each other. She couldn't have thought of a better distraction, and, much to her surprise, his company had the wished effect.

The first few days had still been painful, especially whenever she had laid eyes on Harry's book. But with the time, the mental image of Lavender replacing her during her time at the Burrow faded away more and more. Less time was spent with thinking about Ron, about where their relationship could have gone if he had loved her the way she had loved him.

And more and more, other things became important. There was the fact that one could stroll around Hogwarts without constantly bumping into someone or being in a hurry because of yet another class.

There was also the fact that Malfoy was a surprisingly nice conversation partner. After Christmas, no more in depth analyses of their situations had followed. Instead, they had spent their time with getting to know each other better. Hermione had always believed that Draco was a smart wizard, and now she was getting the proof for that.

The amount of topics they could discuss was impressive. Hermione had quickly gotten over her surprise caused by Malfoy's interest in what it was like to grow up with Muggles. It was a world he couldn't really imagine, and with the time, she had realised that he was truly interested in the stories she had to tell. Likewise, he had explained to her what it had been like to grow up with magic since being a little boy.

And so, the time had passed quickly, and without her really noticing it, Hermione's mood had started to change. By the end of the Christmas holidays, she was no longer waking up with the strong urge to curl up and right fall asleep again. The familiar lump in her throat was gone. Instead, she found herself experiencing moments in which she was truly feeling well.

All thanks to the one person, who she would have never seen in the role of the person, who could cheer her up.

Malfoy's own mood seemed to have changed a lot as well during their holidays. His expression had softened visibly: a proof for the fact that he wasn't wearing a constant mask, that was supposed to hide his real feelings. No longer was he constantly reminding himself of the fact that his father thought he had failed, had disappointed him. Instead, he was doing what she had suggested: he was paying attention to the person, who thought he should be proud of the man he had become.

It was early in the morning of the day when the rest of Hogwarts' students would return. The Great Hall was as empty as they had gotten used to lately. Only two more students were sitting at the Slytherin table with Draco and Hermione. Having breakfast together had become a routine for them during the holidays. For that, they had switched tables every day. Neither of the professors seemed to have minded.

"I'm not sure I'm looking forward to all of them returning," Draco stated, taking another sip of his tea. "It'll be so full, and loud."

"And we can't sit at the same table anymore." Hermione winked at him. "I have to say, I'll miss our early morning conversations."

He grinned. "That doesn't surprise me. People never can get enough of me." He looked like he wanted to say more, but was interrupted as the owls with the morning post appeared. Hermione studied him closely as a letter was dropped onto his plate.

"Your mother?" she wanted to know.

Draco just nodded silently. He opened the letter, quickly read through it, before he put it back into its envelop.

"Will you tell me what she wrote or just let me wonder all day long?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes at her, couldn't resist a tiny smile though. "You're pretty nosy, Granger. She just asked if I had nice holidays. She also said that Father obviously is upset because I didn't come to spend them at the Manor. Mother obviously explained to him why I didn't come, and she believes he's slowly getting it."

"Oh." Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise. "So he's finally understanding that treating you that way was wrong? Who'd have expected that." She paused. "And what do you think about that?"

Draco shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. If he woke up finally and started to see me as who I am, that's great. He's my father after all. I'd be happy if we could go back to having a decent relationship with each other. But still, I want him to apologize. I mean, he said he was worried during the war, that all he wanted was getting me back, was knowing that I was safe. And then, weeks later, he's not looking at me anymore. The fear was gone and the disappointment started. If he really meant it back then, if he really cared for me that much, I want him to show it to me."

Hermione smiled satisfied. "I'm glad to hear you're seeing it from this point of view now."

He returned her smile. "What about you though?" he asked then. "Scared of Weasley's return?"

Hermione paused for a moment. "In fact, I've been asking myself the same question," she answered.

"And what's the answer?"

She needed another moment before she answered, "After the way I felt when they left, you'd expect me to be afraid, right? But I'm not. If I'm entirely honest...I don't really feel anything. I'm happy they'll all be back. I miss them, they're my friends after all. My best friends. But when it comes to Ron..." Her smile returned. "I think it finally stopped hurting. It's not over yet. It'll be awkward to be around him and Lavender, that's for sure. But...I think it stopped hurting."

"See?" It was his turn to grin satisfied. "That wasn't so hard, was it? But don't freak out when you get upset again the moment he shows up with her. You can't just forget him and what you felt for him. It takes time. Important is that you're feeling better about it. That thinking about him doesn't automatically upset you again."

Hermione chuckled. "Did you read my book?"

"I might have looked into it briefly." Draco grinned back at her. Then he studied her in silence. Hermione had caught him doing so a couple of times lately, and every time, she was wondering what was going on in his mind at this particular moment.

Then, without a further word, he turned his attention back to his cup of tea. "Only a few more hours," he said then, and she wasn't sure whether he was actually talking to her or to himself. "I guess that'll be the end of our agreement, huh?"

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

He didn't look up. "Well, we agreed to make each other's holidays bearable. Now that the holidays are over, there's no need to spend time with each other anymore, right?"

Her eyes widened. Such a thought hadn't come to her mind yet. Then, another question pushed its way into her mind and she looked at him curiously. "Is that what you want?" she asked him. "To back off again after my friends returned?"

Draco shrugged. "If that's what you want."

"I asked you," she said firmly. "What you want. Do you want me to leave you alone? Or do you still want us to talk to each other like we did lately?"

He didn't answer this time, and Hermione had a strong suspicion why. His earlier question hadn't been a statement, hadn't been a suggestion either. This wasn't about his own wish. He wanted to figure out what she wanted. Would she want to get rid of him the moment her best friends would return? Would she push him away? Would he be alone again? The insecurity, which was suddenly radiating from him, told her that he was incapable of answering her question without losing his face in front of her.

"Well," she decided to say then. "It'd be quite sad if we just stopped talking to each other. Because I really had a lot of fun lately. Now that you're not this infuriating idiot anymore, one can even have a nice conversation with you."

"Is that so?" Draco still didn't look up, but she hadn't missed how his face had visibly relaxed at her words. With that, she had also gotten the answer for her own question.

"Yes, it is." She took a sip from her own tea. "And now hurry up with your breakfast. I still want to get some stuff done before they all return."

"Are you telling me what to do?" Finally, he made eye contact again. Much to her relief, his smirk returned.

"Obviously," she teased him, smiling even more as he glared at her. Yes, she wanted to keep him around, because she was enjoying his company. More than she would have ever dared to imagine. And fortunately, they seemed to agree on this topic.

* * *

The return of the other students was as loud and busy as Draco had imagined. Hermione had headed to the entrance door, like most of the others had as well. He had followed her, was now staying in safe distance though.

Only a few more minutes, and her friends would show up among all the other students. Then she would have them back. Weasley and his girl included.

How would she react? Draco had stopped wondering why he even cared. A lot had changed since Christmas. They had spent every single minute of the days together. He had gotten used to her company.

Even more, he had gotten used to the way he liked her. Really liked her. Every day, he was reminded of what a beautiful woman she was, and how smart, how friendly, sweet and funny. He didn't know how she had eventually done it, but somehow, she had found a way to get through to him. In a way no one had ever gotten through to him before.

And yes, he was jealous, because Draco knew that as soon as Weasley would appear, Granger would be reminded of her feelings for him. He could only hope that she had been right with what she had told him earlier this morning: that she was over the pain, was ready to move on and accept the situation with her ex-boyfriend the way it was.

Because even if there was no chance for a Weasley and Granger reunion, he hated the idea of her still having these strong feelings for the other wizard. Mentally, he shook his head at himself. One could safely assume that he had a major crush on her, and where exactly that had come from, he couldn't tell. He had already figured out that he couldn't get rid of those strange feelings she caused whenever she looked at him, smiled at him, whenever she appeared somewhere.

He, Draco Malfoy, had a crush on Hermione Granger. And it had just happened, without him being aware of his changing feelings. He knew she liked him as well. Otherwise, she wouldn't have informed him of the fact that she still wanted them to meet, to talk. He hadn't forced her into admitting that. She had done it all by herself. Whether or not she also had to deal with those confusing feelings though he couldn't tell.

But before his thoughts could travel further down this road, he spotted them. It was Potter, who arrived first. He and Granger exchanged a long, tight embrace, and Draco didn't miss the look he gave his best friend. He wanted to make sure she was alright, and obviously, he seemed to be more or less satisfied with what he was seeing.

Ginny Weasley followed, mirroring her boyfriend's actions. And then, Weasley and his girl approached. Carefully not to draw any attention to himself, Draco stepped closer. He could see Granger's face now. For a brief moment, her expression turned hard, causing his heart to beat faster. But then, she smiled, and this time, it didn't look as painful as it had back on the day when Weasley and the others had left for the holidays.

And this fact relieved him. Smiling lightly himself, he turned around to leave the building, just to be stopped in his tracks again.

"Malfoy!" she shouted, and from the sound of her voice, he could tell she was hurrying after him. "Where are you going? Do you already have enough of all the arrivals?"

As he turned around again, she greeted him with a curious smile. Shaking his head, he raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "What's this, Granger?" he couldn't help but ask. "I was expecting you wouldn't break out into tears, but...this?"

"What?"

"I mean..." He sighed. "I don't know how to explain it. Why are you so...happy? And, even more important, why are you running after me although your friends just arrived?"

"Oh, that's easy." She stood in front of him now, so close that he had to force himself to keep the eye contact with her. "They all need to unpack first, and I doubt I'd be of any help with that. Besides, I don't even want to imagine how crowded the Gryffindor tower is now. There'll be enough time for catching up later."

She paused, her smile softening as she added, "And regarding your other question...I'm happy, because it really didn't hurt like expected it would, even though he was holding her hand. It was awkward, yes. Really awkward for a second. But then...it was okay. Yes, it did hurt, but not a little, but not the way it did in the past. I wasn't mad, or sad. It's okay to me. It really is."

"Wow." Draco looked impressed. "So basically, what didn't work during the last couple of months was eventually resolved within a couple of days?"

Granger shrugged. "Well, like I said, it's not perfect yet. I won't just look at them and feel nothing. Not yet, at least. But it doesn't feel bad anymore either. I don't know what happened. Maybe you were right. Remember how you told me to stop running away? That's what I did. I broke down, right in front of you. And then, I started to move on. I paid attention to other things but my broken heart. I started to realise that there's to feel than just my old feelings for Ron. We broke up months ago after all." She paused before she added, "And then, there was also you."

"Me?" he asked surprised.

She nodded. "Yes. You. You really helped me to feel better. To leave this behind. I changed my point of view, you know? I'm not constantly feeling like I lost everything anymore. I still have Harry, Ron and the others. The broken heart is healing obviously, and I think you're one big reason for that. You and your big mouth."

"Well, is it really surprising to you that I'm a brilliant man?" He grinned, hoping she couldn't see how happy he really was. Yes, of course the situation was still not perfect for her; that would be unrealistic, especially after so many months of dealing with a broken heart. But things had improved, so much that she could actually face her ex-boyfriend without the urge to cry, so much that she could smile, could laugh. Just like that. Thanks to him.

"You know," he decided to continue then, although a little hesitant. "We agreed to continue our meetings. So I was wondering...the next Hogsmeade weekend is approaching, and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me. For a few drinks at the Three Broomsticks, something like that."

For a second, he regretted his suggestion; was he going too far, revealing too much? But then, she smiled, and instantly managed to wipe away all his doubts.

"I'd love to," she said. She took a deep breath, and then sighed. "And now what should we do next, while everyone else is busy with unpacking? How does a little trip to the Black Lake sound?"

Draco just nodded in agreement. Once again, Hermione's smile widened, and once again, he caught himself by thinking what an interesting woman she was. And now, at least so he believed, he had a real chance. Who would have expected that?


	6. Epilogue

**Title:**Broken Hearts  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione feel lonely during their Christmas holidays. Fortunately, they have each other.  
**Rating:** PG - 13  
**Disclaimer:** I DON'T own anyone or anything. I DON'T own the characters. The Harry Potter Series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit. Cover art by Phoenix_87 TDA  
**Author's Note:** Written for dramioneremix (2012). My original couple was Faramir/Eowyn, and there's the Christmas prompt. This is how the prompts are used in the story: Draco has a complicated relationship with his father (like Faramir), Hermione has a broken heart (like Eowyn) and they comfort each other during the Christmas holidays, which they spend together at Hogwarts. Eventually, this brings them closer together.

And the epilogue. Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews, for everyone who favorited and followed this fic! It means a lot to me, thank you!

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**Chapter 6: Epilogue**

4 years later:

"Are you ready yet?" Draco's voice asked through the closed bedroom door.

"Almost," Hermione shouted back. She chuckled as she heard how he let himself in quietly. "Actually I said no peeking."

"You know I couldn't resist." Looking at him through the mirror in front of her, she saw the broad grin that lit his face. "Brilliant."

"So you like it?" Turning around, Hermione allowed him to have a better look at her long, dark red dress.

Draco nodded eagerly. "Could be a little shorter of course."

"Draco!" She glared at him playfully. "This is a wedding. You don't wear a short dress for that! Especially as it'd take away all the attention from the bride."

"Oh, that'll happen anyway." He made his way over to her, once again giving her a look over before he made eye contact again. "Is it really okay to you?"

"What, that Ron and Lavender will marry?" Hermione's smile widened. "It's perfectly okay for me, Draco. I'm happy for them. They really love each other, and I'm glad they're finally making this step."

"Really?" The stood so close now that only inches were separating them. His hands had come to rest on her hips, his eyes were firmly locked with hers as he studied her.

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully. "How often do you want to ask me the same question? Yes, really." She leant in, gently brushing her lips over his. "There was a time when I believed that Ron was my one and only love. I was wrong though. He belongs to Lavender, and I'm glad about that, because thanks to this fact, I realised that another man is my true love. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

His smirk returned. "You think I'm your true love?"

Hermione nodded. "How many times did I tell you already? I'm sure it's close to a million times now."

Draco chuckled. "But it's always great to hear it again." It was his turn to kiss her softly.

"I love you, Draco," she whispered as they parted again.

"I love you, too," he answered. Wrapping his arms more firmly around her, he pulled her close. "You know, we could also just stay here."

"We're invited to a wedding, not just a random party!" Playfully, she shook her head at him. "Now come on, I don't want to be late."

"Fine," he answered, trying his best to look annoyed, but he couldn't prevent himself from smiling. "At least I can show off with my beautiful girlfriend."

Laughing in response, Hermione linked her arm with his, snuggling into his side. Draco was her true love, the man, who she wanted to marry one day. Their relationship had come unexpected for most their friends and family members. But both knew: they belonged together.


End file.
